2006 HSV Senator Reviews

So it is comfy and cushy, but still very quick. And it has a 6.0-litre V8, which means instant respect at the lights.Our test car came in black, with a digital dashboard readout that told us it was Skaife 001, and all the luxury and go-fast gear you would want in an ultimate Holden Calais with tweaking by Skaife. But our fun run in the car, officially a Senator Signature, shows Holden needs the VE Commodore and Statesman as soon as possible.The Skaife car is good and the drive enjoyable, but the update work has stretched the rubber band all the way to breaking point on the last of the current-series Commodores.You can see it in the dash and feel it in the driveline shunt, and are reminded of the old-style basics when you plant your foot.The car is still swift but the auto is ancient and there are a few niggling noises from the suspension that won't be there when there is a VE Skaife car.The Skaife car comes in a year when HSV is doing everything it can to make mileage and sales, before the arrival of the VE Commodore family. It has big plans for everything from the ClubSport to the GTO coupe.The Senator Signature is a 50-car run and all of them are high-gloss black with a $75,590 bottom line, compared with a regular HSV Senator at $72,390, the current GTO at $78,990 and a long-wheelbase Grange at $89,990.This is a contradictory car. It is old and showing that age, but it is still a car that's enjoyable to drive. The question is will people want to pay $75,590 when the VE is coming up fast? But is also understandable why the 50 people who do buy it, will enjoy this car.The black Senator can be rewarding as well as challenging to drive.You can dribble around town enjoying the leather seats, punchy sound system and the throb of the LS2 V8 engine.But when you want to go, and there are times when nothing else is good enough, the Skaife car really honks.It's not a full-on Bathurst bruiser, but it is impossible to argue with 297kW.It is one of the world's great engines and, even with everyone worrying about petrol prices, we are lucky to have it. But it shows the ancient history of the four-speed auto.There is no manual driving mode, no touch-change paddles, the ratios are too far apart and it struggles to cope with the car's massive torque. If you really put your foot down the Skaife car slams through the gears, hitting hard enough to spin the rear wheels briefly before the traction control goes to work, and it really thumps the driveline. It is not very nice, even if it is effective.The brakes are effective thanks to the huge grip from the 19-inch rubbers. The Senator gets the premium brake pack and its great.The Xenon headlamps are also terrific, even better than the benchmark system in the basic Commodore, and overcome the lack of light that has been criticised in other upmarket Holdens with the slimline lamp package. There is terrific turn-in for any corner and great feel through the steering.The cornering attitude is up to the driver and use of the engine, though it is comforting to know the car has traction control, particularly on a damp road.The suspension picks up any pockmarks and there is tramlining at cruising speed, which is partly down to the 19-inch wheels and partly down to the age of the basic suspension design. The upshot is that it is good, but not Euro refined.The car's seats look good and have great support, but they are set too high. Even Skaife admits it, but he is a bloke who would prefer to be sitting on the floor in every car.It comes down to the space needed for the motors that provide electric assistance.The Senator is heavy on fuel but is easy to park, has all the luxury gear you really need, including cruise control and a trip computer. It also features a giant digital speedometer, now fitted to every Commodore.The car is great value against its European rivals and more enjoyable and gutsy than the GT models from Ford Performance Vehicles.

Holden has a 6.0-litre V8 and so does its go- fast department HSV, but they're not the same engine.HSV's 297kW Gen IV LS2 unit has been adapted from the American C6 Corvette and as such has been designed from the outset for high performance.Even more confusing perhaps is the fact that HSV's all-wheel drive models are still powered by the old 270kW 5.7-litre Gen III LS1 engine, that dovetails with the all-wheel drive system.In comparison, Holden's very good 6.0-litre Gen 4 L76 engine found in the SS Commodore puts out 260kW of power.Not much in it you might say, but the proof is definitely in the pudding.Our test vehicle was the upmarket Senator, priced from $72,390, fitted with the optional four-speed automatic transmission – a no-cost option.It's been a while between drinks, but the new Senator is significantly more powerful and much smoother to drive than we remember.In fact, it's the first HSV vehicle in a long time that we have "really" enjoyed driving.Our test car looked fabulous in light metallic Odyssey blue with good use of grey shades inside, with suede leather trim.The 6.0-litre engine sounds fantastic and the power hits hard, much harder than the previous engine.In HSV form the LS2 delivers 297kW of power at 6000rpm and 530Nm of torque at 4400rpm, an increase of 12kW and 20Nm respectively from the LS1 engine.Incredibly too, the auto is a tenth of a second faster from 0 to 100km/h than the manual, at 5.1 seconds compared to 5.2 seconds.It's a bit of an antique in technical terms, but we still like the way it kicks in when you ask the question.In response to customer feedback, HSV has calibrated the auto for what it describes as "a quick, firm, precise shift feel".There's no Power mode anynore and we agree with HSV that it's actually superfluous.We can't help but wonder what these cars are going to be like when Holden finally gets its hands on a five-speed or six-speed auto to match Ford's excellent ZF tranny?Almost as impressive as the punch from the larger engine is the ride quality which is remarkably smooth and comfortable on Sydney's sub-standard roads.At a time when manufactuers are looking to more fuel efficient sources of power, much has been made of Holden's move to an even larger capacity V8.But you wouldn't swap it for quids and, we've got to say, fuel economy is impressive for an engine this size, coming in at around 14.0L/100km.Premium unleaded is recommended for best performance, but the engine will also run happily on the ordinary stuff.The reduction in engine weight with the all alloy unit has also aided weight distribution and chassis balance.Traction Control action is fitted as standard and has been further refined, leaving little reason to switch it off during normal driving, especially since it permits the wheels to spin and the car to give a little twitch changing from first to second under hard acceleration.The HSV Performance Braking package has been upgraded with Corvette twin-piston front callipers.They are more rigid in construction and deliver a higher clamping force and increased brake pedal feel.Standard equipment includes 19in 10-spoke chromed alloys, with 245/35 Pirelli P Zero premium rubber, Luxury 3 suspension includ- ing rear self-levelling, rear park assist and sports seats with eight-way power adjustment.